Futures Roundtable 2014

Kimberley to Cape, working with Regional Development Australia NT, Minerals Council of Australia NT, Australian Conservation Foundation, Charles Darwin University, Territory NRM, and Northern Australian Indigenous Land and Sea Management Alliance and hosted a two day Roundtable in Darwin on May 7 & 8, focusing on Northern Australian land and sea futures.

Participants described the Roundtable as “energising”, “collaborative” and “inspiring”. with 70% of feedback forms rating the event as “very good”, and 28% as “good”.

Key messages

All sectors represented have a strong interest in working together to support development and conservation across Northern Australia that maintains natural and cultural values and strengthens communities. There is a desire to share ideas and opportunities across sectors and to continue conversations and collaborations to achieve an economically resilient and environmentally sustainable future for the North.

Key elements of a successful future for Northern Australia include:

A long term shared vision for the future, supported by a long term planning approach and collaborative decision-making

An economy that is diverse, resilient, environmentally sustainable, equitable and based on world-leading industry practices

Greater recognition of, respect for, and collaboration with, Indigenous people as land holders/managers

Acknowledgement that cultural, social, environmental and economic outcomes are interrelated rather than mutually exclusive, and that healthy country helps ensure healthy people.

Common ground among sectors can be represented by the following guiding principles:

o A resilient, diverse and sustainable economy for Northern Australia is necessary to underpin the wellbeing of its communities, the long-term management of its resources and its contribution to society

o Northern Australia’s unique, intact and globally-significant natural and cultural values must be recognised, utilised and safeguarded as central to its future

o Indigenous interests must be recognised, and northern development and socio-economic development need to be pursued together, since neither is sustainable, nor equitable, without the other

o Development options must involve genuine collaboration with local communities and be compatible with local conditions.

4. Key pathways to help achieve a successful future include:

Establish a shared policy framework for large developments to ensure that enduring values are maintained

Embed this in a strategic landuse planning process for development/conservation/land management